Tsividis, recently named the Edwin Howard Armstrong Professor of Electrical Engineering at Columbia, created the first fully integrated mixed-signal metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) operational amplifier, which became key to pulse-code modulation (PCM) voice codecs for telephony and helped spur the industry toward mixed analog-digital MOS integrated circuits for communications. The work of Tsividis and his students has resulted in multiple patents around the world and extensive applications at the device, circuit, and system levels as well as in enhanced computer simulation.

Of the honor, Tsividis said, “I was moved by the kind words of my colleagues and former students, and delighted at the opportunity to tell my story.”